Contents

About the course

Our Secondary School Direct programmes (with the exception of Geography) are through the @Exeter model with the University of Exeter. This means that our trainees get the benefit of a more school-based programme while at the same time being able to access the acclaimed University of Exeter PGCE course, delivered at The Graduate School of Education, St Luke's Campus, Exeter.

The main placement will be in an Alliance school, as well as a short placement in the spring term with a second school. You would spend the first month in your main placement school, including one week in a feeder primary school, completing some preliminary experience activities and completing the induction phase. School based training will be supported by a principal subject tutor in your subject and a mentor outside of your subject area.

There are regular seminar days through the university to enable you to revisit your subject-based pedagogy. Dartmoor TSA has three of our own seminar days, with the core purpose of bringing the cohort of secondary trainees together to discuss and share their experiences, receive additional professional development from our range of highly-skilled Specialist Leaders of Education and have the opportunity to engage in the most current educational research.

We offer English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Modern Foreign Languages and PE through this model. To find out more about the details of the PGCE component of each subject please visit the University of Exeter PGCE subject pages HERE

Interview process

Applicants will be contacted by phone shortly after we receive an application to discuss interview arrangements. Interviews are held in placement schools where possible and involve delivering a short teaching episode/presentation, a formal interview and a written task.

Where applicants are overseas or unable to attend an interview, alternative arrangements can be made - please contact Martin Smith - Director - to discuss (msmith@dartmoortsa.org.uk)

How school placements work

Placement Options

We have 25 secondary schools in the Devon, Plymouth and Cornwall, offering placement options for applicants. To view a map of our member schools click HERE or see list HERE

How placements are decided

Decisions about placements are lead by applicant preferences and needs. Applicants might want to train close to home. In some cases applicants want to train in a school where there is a particular curriculum strength; in other cases applicants may have been a TA at the school and wish to build on this relationship. Whatever the reason, one of our first conversations with you will be 'where do you want to undertake your main placement?'. Of course, we cannot guarantee that we can find the perfect match, but our commitment is to try to find a school that matches your needs.

Placement and Course Overview (For illustrative purposes)

-Monday 4th September: School based learning commences in both Placement 1 schools.

-Monday 11th September – Friday 15th September: Preliminary experience in a primary school

Requirements

Qualifications

Entry to the PGCE programme is conditional on:

-Graduate or equivalent status

-The relevance of an Honours degree content to the chosen specialist subject(s) (current University of Exeter students are allowed to take up to 30 credits outside of their degree programme, some of which may strengthen an application for a PGCE)

Passes at GCSE in English and Mathematics at grade C or above or equivalent (or for GCSEs taken from Summer 2017 onwards, grade 4 or above) for those applying for Secondary.

Other requirements

-Selection based on the information provided on the UCAS Teacher Training application

-Selection based on a successful interview

-Successful completion of the professional skills tests

-A medical report which is deemed satisfactory

-A completed Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) enhanced check which is deemed satisfactory by the University http://www.exeter.ac.uk/dbs/

Note: It is the University of Exeter's policy that the level 2 certificate in Adult Literacy or Numeracy is not acceptable as an equivalent to GCSE English/Mathematics.

About the training provider

Dartmoor Teaching School Alliance is an alliance of primary and secondary schools in the wider Devon area. If you are thinking about training to teach, we think we can offer you a superb range of inspiring courses. Whether you are a new graduate or you are considering a career change, our teacher training will equip you with the skills to be an outstanding teacher. Dartmoor TSA is led by Okehampton College, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. We work in partnership with the University of Exeter, itself rated Outstanding. To find out more watch our video HERE and visit our web site HERE

There are many great reasons to train with us:

• An outstanding partnership: Okehampton College and the University of Exeter offer trainees first class school placements and academic teaching.

• Train close to home: With 80 schools in our Alliance from the greater Devon area, we offer trainees greater control over where they complete their training.

• Matching trainees to placement schools: every effort is made to carefully match trainees to placement schools that will best develop their skills teacher

• Support into employment and beyond: We recruit trainees with the view to support them, through workshops and mock interviews, to secure their first post. Trainees that go onto teach in local schools are supported through our wide range of NQT and other programmes.

• Values-centred training: we are passionately committed to the values of co-operative schools that put people at the centre of everything we do.

About the accredited body

The University of Exeter is a leader in Initial Teacher Education, consistently graded as outstanding in all areas by Ofsted and ranked 3rd amongst university providers of teacher training in the Good Teacher Training Guide 2017.

It has an excellent graduate employment record.

The PGCE is uniquely characterised by innovative research-led teaching informed by professional practice and academic excellence. The tutors have real-world experience as teachers, senior managers or Ofsted inspectors. They also lead and innovate, developing the latest ideas in teacher education, leading research, writing textbooks, leading subject networks and advising government.

Training with disabilities and other needs

The University of Exeter provides comprehensive student services that include AccessAbility and Wellbeing teams, Student Learning Skills Service, Student Advice Unit, Counselling Service, Students’ Union Advisors, Student Health Centre, Family Centre and the Chaplaincy. For further details on the wealth of support available to you please go to Student Support Services web page HERE

PGCE trainees are assessed by an Occupational Health provider as part of the admissions process to ensure they are fit to teach in a school setting. If the Occupational Health provider recommends any adjustments, the University’s Partnership Office will ensure you are placed in schools where these adjustments can be made, providing they are logistically possible and reasonable.

We always seek to support teachers for whom special educational needs could be a barrier to teaching. We will openly discuss the accessibility of our courses and indeed various partner schools in terms of training.

Support and advice

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